Simultaneous aortic and pulmonary artery aneurysms due to giant cell arteritis.

Abstract

Giant cell arteritis may occasionally affect the aorta and larger pulmonary arteries. This can be part of a systemic disease such as necrotising sarcoid granulomatosis or sys-temic lupus erythematosus, but may also be due to specific conditions, particularly disseminated temporal arteritis (giant cell arteritis). When the pulmonary arteries alone are affected they are usually medium sized and affected as part of a generalised connective tissue disorder such as rheumatoid arthritis. Takayashu's disease may also affect the larger elastic pulmonary arteries or the main pulmo-nary trunk. This paper describes a previously unreported condition of aneurysmal dilatation of the ascending aorta and main pulmonary trunk with no concomitant general-ised connective tissue disorder. Case report